South Africa’s Marco Jansen and India’s Deepti Sharma have been rewarded for their all-round brilliance, winning the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for October. While Jansen dominated with both bat and ball during South Africa’s high-profile Test series against Australia, Deepti played a crucial role in India’s commanding white-ball sweep of Zimbabwe.
Jansen’s match-winning contributions helped him climb to the top of two ICC Test Player Rankings categories, while Deepti showcased her versatility with impactful performances in both the ODI and T20I formats. The award marks the second time the Indian all-rounder has received the women’s honour, having previously won it in December 2023.
Jansen enjoyed an impressive month, scoring 198 runs and claiming 13 wickets with his left-arm pace bowling. His standout performance came in the second Test of the three-match ICC World Test Championship series against Australia in Gqeberha.
The 26-year-old played a crucial role with the bat, scoring 85 runs before producing match figures of five for 33 and one for 34 to help South Africa secure a memorable victory.
His performances also propelled him to the top of the ICC Test Bowling and All-rounder Rankings. Jansen became the first South African bowler to occupy the No. 1 position since Kagiso Rabada in 2024 and the first player from the country to top the Test all-rounders’ rankings since Vernon Philander in August 2014.
Jansen won the men’s award ahead of Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas and West Indies captain Shai Hope, who were also shortlisted for their performances during October.
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Deepti earned the women’s award after delivering impactful performances with both bat and ball during India’s home series against Zimbabwe. In the ICC Women’s Championship ODI series, the Indian all-rounder scored an unbeaten 106 in her only batting opportunity and picked up five wickets at an economy rate of 3.42 as India completed a dominant 3-0 series sweep.
She carried her form into the T20I series, scoring 49 off 37 deliveries in her only innings and adding two wickets with her off-spin bowling.
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The latest recognition marks Deepti’s second ICC Women’s Player of the Month award, following her maiden honour in December 2023. She finished ahead of Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, who were also shortlisted.
Speaking after receiving the award, Deepti expressed happiness over India’s performance and highlighted her century as a particularly special moment.
“I’m pleased to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award. The series against Zimbabwe was a great one for us, and I’m proud of the way the team performed, especially the youngsters. Scoring a century was a particularly special moment for me, made even more meaningful as it contributed to a winning cause,” she said.
Deepti also thanked the voting panel, fans, teammates and coaches for their support, dedicating the award to her supporters across the world.
